"He ended up confessing to setting five separate fires within a half-hour's time in the neighborhoods of Brighton Heights, Shadeland and Marshall," Pittsburgh Police Detective Mike Burns said Monday.

The boy made the confession in front of his mother, Burns said. They're also connecting him to a pickup truck that was set on fire, as well a row of trash cans. He's not being identified publicly because of his age.

The boy was arrested for setting a series of fires Sunday night, including one that tore through an abandoned building on the North Side. Arson investigators said the first fire started at about 10:45 p.m. and the last was set at 11:45 p.m.

One of the fires the boy is charged with setting burned through an unoccupied building on Termon Avenue. Residents of that street expressed frustration upon hearing that the fires were intentionally set.

Neighbor John Moon hopes for appropriate punishment, even though the suspect is a teenager. "I hope it's not a slap on the wrist, whoever this may be," he said. "What happens is you put a lot of lives in danger."